An Evaluation of Environmental Effects and Remediation of Toxic Elements in Metal Mines
Haina Luo, MLWS 2022
Heavy metal pollution by mining activities can occur in a wide range of regions across BC. Improperly closed mines can create serious long-term environmental and health impacts. For example, the Pinchi mercury mine, and the Britannia copper mine remained to be some of the most polluted areas even decades after closure. The Bralorn-Pioneer gold mines were left a ghost town without any remediation until they came back to production in 2017.
The level of metal contamination can be affected by many factors, including the main ore type, the structure of the mines, geological setting, climate, etc. With different combinations of natural settings and different mine structures, each mine can create environmental problems in its unique way. Therefore, remediation planning cannot be limited to a series of actions targeting individual problems after mine closure, but to be provided along the designing and operating stages.
This project aims to examine the differences between different mines in BC by reviewing past geological surveys, remediation reports, and related pieces of literature. The project found that microbes with performance-enhancing amendments can treat problems such as AMD in metal mines. However, more field-level work needs to be conducted to accurately assess the ultility of microbes.
